CITY & HOUSING AUTHORITY PREPARE FOR GROUNDBREAKING OF WEST ROCK REDEVELOPMENT

(1/26/2010) NEW HAVEN— The Housing Authority of the City of New and the City of New Haven will hold a groundbreaking on January 29th at 11 am at the site of the new Brookside housing development (Brookside Road, New Haven, CT) to celebrate the start of the redevelopment of the West Rock neighborhood. The groundbreaking celebrates the start of construction of the infrastructure for the first phase of the Brookside Redevelopment. This phase will provide 101 units of safe, decent and affordable housing that will help to spur the economic revitalization of this neighborhood.

The West Rock Revitalization Plan calls for the development of more than 450 units of housing, 8,000 square feet of community space and a revitalized 12,000 square foot family center. Work on the infrastructure is expected to be completed by the early winter of 2010.

Funding for this infrastructure work is being provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development though a $4.7 million competitive grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and a $4.0 million matching grant from the City of New Haven. The Authority received more than $20 million in competitive grants under ARRA, which makes it one of the most successful public housing agencies in the nation in terms of the amount of competitive grants received.

“This groundbreaking represents opportunities for the citizens in this community and demonstrates the City’s long-standing commitment to ensure that all of our residents have a safe place to live and raise their families,” said Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. “These types of projects promote the growth and improvement of our City.”

The infrastructure work related to this project will create approximately 20 construction jobs. Once the roads and utilities have been installed the Authority and the City will begin the development of the first 101 units. The development of these units will generate an additional 120 construction jobs. Work on the first 101 units is expected to begin in April of 2008 and is expected to take about 18 months to complete.